By evening, the Prado fills with people walking off the day, street vendors work the pavements, and the cable cars keep running above the valley with the lights of El Alto spread out behind them. Dinner tends to come late, and the city's bars and clubs keep going well past midnight.
La Paz has a varied nightlife that reflects the city itself: folk music clubs tied to Andean culture, traveller bars around the tourist streets, and smarter clubs in the Zona Sur. It suits visitors who are happy to move between neighbourhoods by taxi or cable car, and who do not mind that the best-known spots are spread across the valley rather than gathered in one strip.
Where to go out in La Paz
1. Peñas
Peñas are music clubs built around Andean folk music, with live performance and dance. They are one of the most recognisable sides of the city's nightlife and suit anyone who wants the evening to be about the music rather than the bar.
One long-established peña is Huari on Calle Sagarnaga. Its central location makes it the convenient choice for foreign visitors, which the source notes comes with tourist prices and slightly tacky decor, though the music and dance performances are described as excellent.
2. The traveller bar circuit around Calle Murillo and Sagarnaga
The downtown streets around the tourist area hold a cluster of bars aimed at backpackers and travellers, several of them foreign-owned and English-speaking. This is the easiest area to start a night if you want company and a familiar format.
Named venues in this scene include Oliver's Travels on Calle Murillo, described as a Northern English-owned backpackers bar with a party atmosphere, and Sol Y Luna on the same street, a Dutch-run traveller's hangout with live music, a pool table and coca leaf mojitos. The Irish bar at Plaza Avoroa is mostly frequented by Bolivians. Expect mid-range prices and a mixed crowd.
3. Sopocachi
Sopocachi is a central district with a more local character than the tourist streets. If you want a night that is less about meeting other travellers, this is a reasonable area to aim for.
Malegria, on Pasaje Medinacelli in Sopocachi, is described as supposedly the best place in La Paz for performances, and the one locals name when asked what else they would recommend.
4. Zona Sur and Calacoto
The Zona Sur, reached from downtown by public transport or taxi, is where the city's dressier clubs and lounges are found. Nights here suit people who want a proper club with a well-dressed crowd rather than a backpacker bar.
La Gitana on Calle 8 de Calacoto is a bar and club for the upper-class youth of the South Zone, and the source advises dressing well. Dry Law in Cota Cota is a hip club in the same zone, described as slightly on the right side of pretentious and a good alternative if you are tired of running into other travellers. BackStage in La Florida, Calacoto, is a trendy karaoke lounge with songs in both Spanish and English.
5. Large clubs and discos
If you want a big room, a dance floor and a mixed crowd of locals and visitors, the city has a handful of established club venues. These are the places to go when the evening is about dancing rather than conversation.
Mongo's on Hermanos Manchego has been a popular option since 1995, with a lively atmosphere every night and a mix of locals and travellers; the source warns that some visitors have been charged more than the menu prices, so check your bill, and that pickpockets have been attracted by its popularity. Forum, near Plaza España, is a proper disco with a dressed-up Bolivian crowd, and Soundbar is named as the other venue of that kind.
6. Bars with a theme or a gimmick
Away from the main circuits there are smaller bars with a distinct personality, good for a quieter drink or a stop earlier in the evening.
Antique Pub on Pichincha plays recorded rock music and is filled with old objects, including fob watches, photographs, a child's tricycle and a six shooter, and also serves food. Traffic in San Jorge has a large dance floor, a comfortable bar and fairly good music. Hard Rock Cafe on Calle Santa Cruz is described as the biggest bar in Bolivia, open all week with a mix of music and a crowd of backpackers and locals.
7. Cafés for an early start to the evening
Cafés are where an evening in La Paz often begins, before the bars get going. They are also the practical option if you are still adjusting to the altitude and want a slow first night.
Cafe Confiteria La Paz, at Avenida Camacho and Ayacucho near the Obelisco, is open from 08:00 to midnight and offers free WiFi to customers. Blueberries on Avenida 20 de Octubre serves coffee and breakfast at the east end of Plaza Avaroa, and Pepe's Coffee Bar on Jimenez is described as a calm getaway close to the tourist area. Note that coffee is not a popular drink in Bolivia; for a sweet hot drink, try api, made from corn.
8. Cinemas
Cinemas are a low-key alternative for an evening, and the city has both multiplexes and a repertory option. This suits a night when you want to be off your feet, or a rainy summer evening.
MultiCine on Avenida Arce is a multiplex with a 3D screen showing current Hollywood releases. The Cinemateca Boliviana, at Guachalla and Federico Suazo, is described as the most modern cinema in the city, showing new releases, local films and international festivals. MegaCenter is in the Zona Sur at the entrance to Irpavi, reachable from downtown by public transport.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not describe a fixed dinner hour, but the pattern they imply is a late one: cafés run into the evening, bars and clubs operate into the small hours, and one listed venue opens at 22:00 and closes at 04:00. Local law prohibits serving alcohol after 04:00, and the source notes that a number of speakeasies defy this. Plan your night accordingly, and remember that altitude affects how you handle a late evening as much as how you handle the daytime.
Frequently asked questions
When do bars and clubs close in La Paz?
Local law prohibits serving alcohol after 04:00. The source notes that some speakeasies operate in defiance of this rule, and that at least one large bar is listed as open from 22:00 to 04:00.
What is the legal drinking age, and are there other rules to know?
The sources consulted do not state a legal drinking age. The only rule they give is the 04:00 cut-off for serving alcohol.
Where can I hear Andean folk music?
At peñas, the music clubs where folk music and dance performances are staged. Huari on Calle Sagarnaga is the one named in the source, and it is the convenient choice for visitors staying downtown.
Do I need to dress up to go out?
It depends on where you go. The Zona Sur clubs such as La Gitana and Dry Law draw a dressed-up crowd, and the source advises dressing well for both. The traveller bars around Calle Murillo are casual.
Decide which side of the valley you want to end up on, check how you will get back, and give yourself an easy first evening before you take on the city's late nights in earnest.